This invention relates to wind drag reducing suits for speed sport athletes, and, in particular, to aerodynamic modules integrated into wind drag reducing suits worn by such athletes, for example cyclists, skaters, or skiers, to improve laminar air flow and reduce wind drag and thereby increase the athletes' speed for the same energy output.
In an attempt to achieve greater speeds in a wide variety of sports, attention has been focused on overcoming, or in other words limiting, the adverse effects of wind resistance. On the racing front, less wind resistance for a given driving force translates to faster speeds. As a result, Indy type cars and drivers have incorporated aerodynamic advances into car and helmet design. For instance, one type of aerodynamic device utilized is a splayed-open-V-shaped vortex generator, which has been incorporated into Indy car frames and driver helmets to enhance their respective aerodynamics. These vortex generators, which are employed on a surface over which air passes, project outward from that surface and are oriented with the point of the V-shaped generator directed into the passing air. However, to date, the use of this aerodynamic device or technology has been limited.
Nonetheless, the benefits of improved aerodynamics have repeatedly been recognized in other forms by speed sport athletes such as cyclists. Over the years, a number of advancements have been made both in the design of bicycles for cycling competitions as well as some limited advancements in clothing for cyclists. With respect to bicycle design, aerodynamic concerns have led to bicycle wheels being improved to reduce wind drag on the spokes. The multi-spoke wheel has given way to the solid or composite wheel. The handlebars have also been improved and shaped and contoured in such a way as to provide both a more aerodynamic design and a forearm support surface. The current design of these contoured handlebars enables the cyclist to lean forward and bring the hands together into both a comfortable cycling position and a more aerodynamically compact position, whereby the smaller the projected frontal area the cyclist pushes through the wind, the more aerodynamic the cyclist and bicycle.
Clothing advancements have also improved the aerodynamics of cycling. Cyclist currently wear tight fitting clothing to try and reduce as much as possible any loose fabric which would "catch" the wind and increase the drag coefficient of the cyclist. While a focus on reducing the drag coefficient is not of any particular concern for purely casual or social bicycling, it can be critical in competitive cycling situations. While the above improvements are a step toward enhancing aerodynamics, additional improvements continue to be sought to optimize performance.
The two parent applications, cited above, of the present application disclose and expressly describe aerodynamic modules which have addressed the aerodynamic concerns of athletes by further improving the aerodynamics of a speed sport athlete such as a cyclist. The disclosure and teachings of those applications are explicitly incorporated herein by reference.